Cardiff hosts expo on being environmentally responsible

CARDIFF-BY-THE-SEA — Business and government leaders have joined together to launch a community-wide Green Awareness Expo from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 7 at Cardiff Elementary School, at 1508 Windsor Rd.
The free event, presented by the Cardiff-By-The Sea 101 Chamber, will showcase the new Mercedes Smart Car; demonstrations on landscaping and composting, recycling and water use and conservation; and panel discussions led by some of the region’s foremost experts on sustainability.
“As citizens, it is our responsibility to educate ourselves on anything that can help reduce our carbon footprint,” Betty Steele, co-chair of the Green Awareness Expo and a longtime North County resident, said. “There are many people who live right here in North County who have so much information on being green to share. We are excited and proud to live in a community that is preparing for a healthy and sustainable future.”
In-depth workshops will be held in the school’s auditorium with panels of experts in related fields offering an opportunity for questions on multiple sustainable topics throughout the day. In addition, there will be many vendor booths that will spotlight information on sustainable living, such as solar technologies and 2009 tax credits; eco-friendly architecture, design and building materials; and green transportation and jobs.
The expo will also include children’s activities. Local radio station 91X will provide music. Vendors and speakers include Encinitas Bicycles, Surfrider Foundation, RawWalls, architectural firm DZN Partners, Solana Center for Environmental Innovation, San Dieguito Water District, City of Encinitas Clean Water Program, Bluwood, Slow Food, John DeWald, Falling Waters Landscape, Olsen Painting, Carroll Plumbing, Fredricks Electric, energy expert Dadla Ponizil, interior designer Laura Birns, WaveCrest, Quail Gardens, Solatube, recycling guru Russell Leven, and surf and ocean artist Kevin Anderson. The Green Awareness Expo will benefit the Cardiff Education Foundation and the Cardiff 101 Chamber.
“We all need to understand how to be ‘green.’ That’s why we created this event,” event co-chair Brenda Dizon, also a longtime North County resident, said. “This is really about truly having and creating a sustainable community, and what one small coastal community in north San Diego County is doing to create a healthy environment for current and future generations. We truly believe this will be a worthy event for the community for many years to come.”